You'd think that he'd understand it from the perspective of a defender, at least. He played about 600 games and reached a very high level. His first team coach, Miguel D'Agostino, was also a defender, though. Perhaps we could do with a little more variety, but that wouldn't explain our defensive lapses. I think that one of our main problems might be to do with Pochettino's unfamiliarity with playing European football and the corresponding lack of training time. He's used to having plenty of preparation for games and having the space to drill his sides and instill his ethos. He needs to adjust quickly.
I keep thinking, hoping that he has adjusted (Lennon) then the next game he reverts to our unsuccessful formula and back we go to square one. I feel his heart is not in wingers, otherwise Lennon would be central to this squad atm which he clearly is not.
It seems that, from what I'm reading here, that the feeling amongst some of us is that MP only has a plan A, or more accurately, a Tactic A. He therefore tries to make the players fit his tactics, rather than the other way around. When that doesn't work - which it isn't doing at the momens, he resorts to tinkering around with various player combinations, etc, to try and find something that does work. No luck so far on that one. IF he stays, my feeling is that there will be wholesale changes in the squad until he gets the players who fit the system he wants to play.
I was wondering if we could make a straight swap.Soldado to Spain for a center forward there who knows how to score a few more goals.Surely someone would pick him up on his past Spanish record?
Problem is the top scorers in La Liga right now is most of them play for Barca or Factitious, Atletico won't be selling Mandzukic six months after signing him, Baptistao and de Jesus are on season-long loans so the're out of the question, Larrivey is already 30, Bueno plays in the position Chadli does, Baptistao averages six goals a season, and Bacca plays for Sevilla so that's not going to be an easy deal by any means. I'm amazed the papers aren't linking us to Huntelaar, given he's been linked to us on and off for years, plus he's out of contract at the end of the season.
Okay, I'll be the devil's advocate. Soldado has 15 goals and 6 assists in all comps in a season and a third. Good? No. Adequate? No. But not, actually so very bad, even for an expensive striker. You can point out that half his goals last year were pens. But that's my point. His minutes per goal/assist is down to 1: 1 1/2 games this year, instead of 1:2 last year. And he's not getting the pens anymore. That one goal/assist to 1 1/2 games isn't worth 30 million but it's not so far off, either. Consider AVB screwed him up, that transitions can be hard, and that he's now scored two in, what, three games (?), and maybe all we need to do is be patient for a little longer.
No sorry but I just can't see him making any dramatic improvements. If I were a betting man, I'd put my money on him going on another baron run than scoring a hat-full in the next few games. His last goal was just a poachers goal because the keeper parried it out from Eriksen's shot and the Everton goal... well he had all day to hit that one. He's missed so many good scoring chances recently that it's clear he needs all day to set himself. In this league, you don't get time. So it's either sharpen up fast or ship out. Sorry. Seems like a nice, honest, hard working bloke but that's not enough to fill that ongoing striker void that needs filling at Spurs.
No doubt most people would agree with you. I probably agree with you, actually--though I wouldn't say we have a striker void at the moment. The two maybes are whether Spurs are starting to score more, and whether Soldado can get pulled along by that tide.
I'm hoping that we keep Kane in for the Burnley game and play Eriksen in behind him, which may allow Soldado a chance from the bench. Having a go against tired legs might be his best shot at the moment. There was an interview published with him today where he claimed that he was embarrassed by the support that he'd received from the fans. While thankful, he said that he didn't deserve it as he hadn't been good enough and hoped that he'd be able to repay the faith he'd been shown. Went on to praise the players and the manager, too. I felt quite bad for him reading it.
I'm not as sure as I was. There was a recent home game, think it was Stoke, when he put one over the bar at the Park Lane end, and it was because his technique was hopelessly wrong. His body was backwards, his head was up too high and he didn't put his foot through it when the opportunity was there for him to do so. It was a poor response to a real chance and he blew it through lack of basic technique.
The problem for him is the January transfer window is coming up, and that's a time where patience is in short supply - especially since we're supposedly considering a move for Seydou Doumbia
